Tag Archives: Colorado

Colorado and Michigan have joined Oklahoma to become the nation’s pioneering states with approved State Plan Amendments (SPAs) that enable Medicaid alternative payment models (APMs) for prescription drugs in the form of outcome-based contracts with pharmaceutical manufacturers. In early May, state experts from Oklahoma, Colorado, and Michigan shared their experiences implementing their APMs during a […]

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) provided a grant to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to develop a new payment methodology for physician-administered drugs (PADs). PADs are drugs delivered by intravenous infusion or injection in clinical settings. The category includes costly drugs, such as chemotherapy and other specialty medications. […]

States, as regulators, payers, and innovators of health care, are uniquely positioned to improve the lives of Americans with serious illnesses by promoting access to palliative care. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is working with state leaders to expand and improve palliative care, explore how these services align with other initiatives (e.g., […]

During NASHP’s recent state health policy conference, state insurance experts explored the dramatic changes that recent federal action has foisted on their individual health insurance markets. In a second report from this conference session, they highlight strategies they’ve used to stabilize markets and identify lingering challenges to insurance markets’ affordability and choice. While many state […]

Despite vaccines’ effectiveness in preventing infectious diseases and strong public funding for childhood immunizations, vaccination rates among children living in poverty remain stubbornly lower than for children living above poverty and who are privately insured. Recently, officials from several organizations, including the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), AcademyHealth, and the Colorado Children’s Immunization […]

As states pursue a wide range of legislation to address rising drug costs, four more states have joined Utah and Vermont to introduce bills to import prescription drugs from Canada through a state-run, wholesale operation. This market-based approach to providing more affordable medicines from Canada, where prescription drugs cost on average 30 percent less than […]

State policymakers increasingly recognize the need to address the social determinants of health — housing, employment, education, and income — to reduce health care costs and improve population health. Educational attainment, for example, provides dividends for overall health. People with higher levels of education generally live longer and experience healthier lives. The quality of education […]

Tuesday, July 29, 2014: This webinar explores the leap from health system transformation planning to practice by showcasing four leading states that are designing and implementing multi-payer payment reforms. Through a facilitated discussion, state officials discuss policy levers to shift payment systems away from fee-for-service, offer strategies for sustaining stakeholder momentum and commitment, and share perspectives on promising practices for and operational challenges of turning a plan for multi-payer payment reform into reality.

Thursday, July 24, 2014: This NASHP webinar provides a federal perspective from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on how states can leverage the Medicaid benefit for children and adolescents (also known as EPSDT) to meet the treatment needs of children. This is followed by a conversation with presenters from Colorado and Washington about treatment services under the EPSDT benefit and their processes for determining service coverage.

Primary care practices transitioning to enhanced models of primary care require ongoing support to sustain their transformation efforts. Small and medium-sized practices in particular can benefit from shared resources facilitating care coordination and case management, use of data and technology, and ongoing practice improvement. This State Health Policy Briefing outlines key elements of a shared […]